Help setting Mahenge

[NKOTB]

Hello all - I have this beautiful little spinel that I would like to put in a ring. I'm thinking of a 3-stone. Would it look funny with round sides? Better with trillions, or something else? Or should I halo it?

 

[chrono]

It does look a little odd - it you really want to use the round pair, squaring off the setting can give the rounds the illusion of looking square, much like how it is done in antique settings.

 

[minousbijoux]

Help me out here...have we "officially" seen this mahenge before and I've just forgotten? I love that its not oval! It looks like it has vivid color. Beautiful.

Anyway, I agree with Chrono if you are going to do round sides. Otherwise, if you found trilliants of the right size, that's where my vote would be!

ETA: or whats that shape called, trapezoids?

 

[chrono]

Traps are harder to find though. Other options are cushions or even baguettes. I don't think trillions go well with rectangular stones unless you add extra melees (split shank with the trillions set in the gap) or set the cushion East / West.

 

[minousbijoux]

Got it - I defer to you Chrono, on ring design, that is for sure

 

[chrono]

No, no, no....just a different point of view, that's all.

 

[NKOTB]

Thanks, Minou and Chrono! I like the idea of cushions. What size, do you think? This stone is 6.6 by 5.5. Not sure diamonds will be in the budget. The reason I was considering these rounds is because they're my studs, so I already have them. Maybe white sapphires? I had also toyed with the idea of coloured sides.

I haven't posted this stone before. I was lucky enough to purchase it from another PSer recently. It was cut by Peter Torraca.

 

[minousbijoux]

I haven't posted this stone before. I was lucky enough to purchase it from another PSer recently. It was cut by Peter Torraca.

Lucky girl! I thought I would've remembered that one, as it sure is beautifully cut with great intensity of color.

 

[chrono]

Why, coloured stone cushions, of course! How about light green or light purple?

 

[NKOTB]

I haven't posted this stone before. I was lucky enough to purchase it from another PSer recently. It was cut by Peter Torraca.

Lucky girl! I thought I would've remembered that one, as it sure is beautifully cut with great intensity of color.

That's why I want to do it justice in setting. I find I keep putting off setting some of my favourite stones, because I can't commit to a setting, or I don't know how to go about it.

It could look pretty in a halo, too.

Chrono, not sure about light purple. Maybe light green. I saw it beside some spesses, and that looked pretty. I guess I'd worry that I would get tired of any colour combo, whereas diamonds are a little safer?

 

[chrono]

Yup, can't go wrong with diamonds.

 

[ChrisA222]

I really like that stone..I'm not super crazy about the pink Mahenge's but that one looks amazing. My only thought is that I'm willing to bet you'd be disappointed with white Sapphires...they definately do not compare to Diamonds. I'd do white Zircons before Sapphires, but then you have the durability factor. I've seen some white Spinels recently which would be a good choice, if you are lucky to find some that don't have the lavender tint. But my initial reaction is to try to make your Diamonds work before doing white Sapphires, which I dont think you would be happy with. Just my 2 cents that are probably worth less than that

 

[NKOTB]

I guess I was thinking of white sapphires if they were baguettes or step cuts (though I did eye that pair of step cut diamonds that were recently listed on Preloved), but if I went with colourless cushions, diamonds would probably be the way to go (though spinels would be nice, too, but haven't seen too many of those come up - even if they were slightly lavender, that would be a case where "light purple", as per Chrono's suggestion, I could go for). Hmmm....

 

[chrono]

I was thinking that perhaps pale cushion amethysts should not be too difficult to find nor expensive. Trying to find fancy cuts, baguettes included, in coloured gemstones is very difficult. Remember my quest for a pair of step cut (elongated EC) baguette spinels? I ended up scrapping that idea after searching for over 1 year and going with trillions instead but since my stone is a perfect square, I am able to get away with that.